Fall Out
by Jaeh
Summary: A harsh misunderstanding breaks a friendship apart... but when they run across the other's path years later, is it to late to mend what is lost? AU.
1. Prologue

So, I decided to post yet *another* story, even with "Lost" hanging over my head. Don't worry, though, I'll finish that one too. xD

This one's a lot different, and it's been hanging over my head, since I got the idea, so I went ahead to write and post it. It's too good to let goooo. ^^

Disclaimer: I own a collector's DVD set of NT2, but that's about it. xD

**Fall Out**

Summary: A harsh misunderstanding breaks a friendship apart... but when they run across the other's path years later, is it to late to mend what is lost? AU.

* * *

Prologue

It all started one fateful noon on a fateful day in his faithful apartment on his not-so-faithful cell phone. Riley Poole got about twenty voice mail messages, ranging from "Call me NOW, Riley!" to incessant cursing from Ben Gates, his apparently pissed off best friend. Riley didn't know what it was about, but he was sure it was something he didn't do. Or didn't _mean_ to do, if ever that was the case. He didn't want to call – he just woke up from his too-little sleep from another all-nighter, this time not from his fun job as a 'technical security adviser' (a.k.a white hat hacker/penetration tester) but from a night spent shamelessly on endless video games. He wanted Ben to join him last night, to teach the far-too-busy treasure hunter to unwind by doing something other than reading, but Ben was too busy (of course) with work – and probably with his wife too with things that Riley wouldn't want to hear about.

He stood, dropped his phone on the bed, and went into his bathroom to take a cold shower to wake himself up. He wrapped a towel around his waist immediately when his cell phone shrilled out the _Indiana Jones_ theme he reserved as Ben's ringtone. Riley frowned at the phone, and pressed the green button.

He regretted clicking that button. Who knew a simple, green button would signify another huge change in his life and lifestyle? If he did, he wouldn't have pressed it.

When he did, what met him was an angry protest along the words of "How could you Riley?!" and "Dammit, Riley, you took advantage of our friendship!" And then Ben hung up, and Riley stared at the phone a little bit more.

It was something about Ben losing three-fourths of his money, inexplicably transferred to Riley's account. All that Riley knew was he didn't do it – he wouldn't steal from _Ben_, much less anyone else. If he needs the money, he would've asked. Riley knew he was almost-broke (down to his last spending dollar, even – barely making ends meet), but he would never stoop to _that_ level. He had been living off instant noodles for a while, and had only recently grabbed a job to test a company's network security. His first paycheck in a while wasn't going to come until a week later, but he managed scraping together the last bit of his spending money (he refused to even dip into his savings) to live for the next few days.

He tried to defend himself, thinking that Ben would listen to his explanation that he _didn't_ do it, but the man was unreasonably yelling in the background. It wasn't like the dude didn't have any money left in his account, Riley thought, and he shrugged it off. He was pretty sure that the whole thing would straighten itself out, and he went back to his job.

After a few minutes, Riley received a knock from the door, and Ben stumbled in, his fist flying at his face a little too fast. The next thing Riley knew was that he was on the floor, sporting a bruise on his cheekbone from where Ben had hit him.

Ben glanced at him with a hurt expression and said, "You took my _savings_ from my account, Riley? I knew you were broke, but… I've known you for years, and I've never taken you for a thief, but…" Ben sighed, and backed towards the door. "I'm not pressing charges. But you know what? I don't think I want to see you anytime soon, Mr. Poole."

Something else stung, other than the cheek hit by Ben's flying fists of fury. Riley didn't even know what was going on. He was confused, and _hurt_, not only by the sucker punch but also because he was being accused of something he didn't do, didn't even know about, and he lost a friend because of it.

He promptly called the bank and waited for an explanation. They told him that they weren't sure what happened either, but they would get back to him soon.

Riley then hopped into his car, and drove straight to the Gates' mansion. He hoped that Ben would listen to reason, and if Ben _did_ give a damn about their friendship, even just by pretending to listen, he would stay.

But he was met by harsh glances from Ben, and a look of pity from Abigail. Ben started yelling at him, telling Riley that he didn't want his explanations, and that he was too pissed off to care, anyway. There was something along the lines of never seeing each other again, and Riley took that to heart.

He gunned his engines straight out the mansion, and that was the last time Riley saw the huge house for ten years.

* * *

That was the last time Ben ever saw Riley again. He wrongly accused him of something; something that wasn't his best friend's – or rather, _former business associate_ – fault. He found out that a bunch of his savings was lost, and found all of a sudden in Riley's account. The bank had said something about a weird wire transfer, and everyone jumped to the same conclusion: Riley's 'special' skills. The fact that the kid was broke didn't help either. Ben was so angry he couldn't see straight. It was his savings, something that he didn't dare touch until he and Abigail find something really worth spending on, and the kid took almost all of it. The bank immediately rewired it to Ben's account, and he just let it go. He was determined not to speak to Riley for a few weeks until his anger ebbed, and didn't contact the young man for a few weeks.

After a couple of days, he couldn't resist and called Riley's number. The operator told him the subscription had been cancelled. Ben drove over to Riley's apartment, and found that it was now rented out to someone else (the hard way: he opened the door with his spare key and the man who currently lived in it attempted to swipe his nose off with a hockey stick). He had no contact with Riley whatsoever – even when he asked the kid's few known friends, nobody knew where the young man had skipped off to.

Ben was, needless to say, shocked. And guilty. Most definitely guilty. He sent Riley away, and this was all his fault. He accused him before he listened, he… he was being irrational and stupid, and he didn't know what else to do. He decided to call in some favors, and found out that the name Riley Poole had suddenly slowly faded away to inactivity from the database after years of existence. There was nothing else on it after the day Ben called on him to declare his anger.

Ben didn't know what else to do. He tried looking for him, trying to get a message to him, but to no avail. And so he and Abigail went on with their life, but the truth was, he never really stopped looking for his best friend.

* * *

Riley didn't deserve that kind of treatment from Ben. What, seven years of putting up with his requests and his stubbornness isn't enough to merit a little trust? He didn't even try to hear out Riley!

He was being taken for granted. It was the downside of trust, and Riley knew it. It wasn't his fault that he kept running into people who took advantage of him. It wasn't his fault that he kept on realizing it a little too late, and that he kept on repeating it again and again until…

No. More.

Riley wanted to start over. He did that every now and again, moving from state to state, starting over with a relatively clean slate. This time, though, he also made sure Ben couldn't follow him – he was really hurt and would rather stay away from a friend who jumped to conclusions of betrayal far too quick. Besides, he remembered that the man did tell him to stay away. And he _meant_ it, and Riley didn't want to disappoint, so Riley sped off.

Riley had found out years back that the easiest way to escape big problems is when you run from them. His spotty past had taught him that (and had made him practice it a lot back then, too). And so, he ran. It was a little harder with Ben and Abigail around, for they always held him back from running away. Riley liked his old life, and thought that Riley Poole would be the last life he'd ever lead. But when Ben was the one driving him away, his Ferrari was a little more than too happy to drive him four-and-a-half hours to New York.

Riley Poole wasn't always Riley Poole. He had been Danny Reynolds, Joshua York, and Peter Parker (no relation to Spiderman) – and _had been_ Riley Poole (imagine going through all those names from the age of sixteen to twenty-seven – he figured that he shouldn't make running a habit). It was the first time since almost forever that he used his real name, Riley Poole, and it was the last time he probably ever would again. He erased Riley Poole from… everywhere. He was now Justin Carpenter, working as the head technology security adviser (do what you know, right?) in two big companies in New York.

Sometimes being a lowly sidekick has some perks. Not everyone – or mostly no one, recognizes you.

* * *

So they went their separate ways, one hoping to see the other again, the other trying desperately to forget. A close friendship broken after seven years was not something they could easily let go of, they both found out. Now they had their own lives, their own families, their own disappointments and joys… and those who had thought that the treasure protector-tech expert team would never be broken were proven irrevocably wrong. Both had thought they'd be at each other's wedding, every birthday, every Christmas – but hey, sometimes life has this way of disappointing you.

And so the ten years came and went, and Justin Carpenter found himself standing in Washington D.C., invited to a company dinner, staring at someone he knew once in another lifetime. Ben Gates.

* * *

review please :) and the next chapter's gonna come soon!

-Jaeh


	2. Chapter 1

Here's an late Christmas gift/early New Year gift to you guys! :D New chapter, this quick. Hahaha. The next one should follow… erm, it might take a little long, but… maybe it won't… heh.

Thanks for all the quick reviews!!!! :) (and here's a quick post in reply. hahaha.)

HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL (in 12 hours for me, anyway xD) sooooo... here's the next chappie!

OC alert! You'll see her when you see her. :)

Disclaimer: Nothing I've posted, or am posting, do I own.

* * *

Riley stood in the distance, staring at Ben with shock. Of course, he should have expected seeing him here in Washington D.C., but it was _Ben_. After all these years, he would see Ben again; the man who was a former close _associate_, someone who blamed him for something that he never really did, from whom Riley ran off…

He shook his head. He was here to enjoy his evening with his wife of seven years, Ashley Morgan (or Ash, as he called her) and not think about past lives that he was determined to Ben was here. He _really was_ here. Riley shook his head again and tried not think about it, and turned away.

His wife knew, of course; he never kept any secrets from her (well, _almost_). Riley wished that Ben wasn't here, but it turned out that the owner of the company was Ben's friend. It was a good thing the owner didn't recognize Riley, and no word went to Ben about his stay in Washington D.C.

Ashley's arm wrapped around Riley's bicep, and he kept close. "That's Ben, Justin."

"I know." Riley murmured. He looked at Ashley and he grinned a little, masking the look of pain that had made its way to his face. "Think the kids would prefer that we tuck them in tonight?"

Ashley's smile was one of concern, but she agreed. Riley glanced around, and spotted the owner of the company he was working for, Mr. Richard Reed, a tall, muscular man that looked more like Clark Kent than Reed Richards. As one of the most trusted "advisers" and friends of Mr. Reed, Riley had free passes to elaborate dinners such as this. Before, he found them utterly boring and would rather not go anywhere near some, but as he grew older he found that they weren't that bad at all (besides, free gourmet food, new contacts, and small dinner date with his wife – win-win, eh?). Besides, being close to the man on top gives him license to dress as weird as possible. He would have worn his trusty converses if it didn't look silly on a thirty-seven-year old man wearing a suit and tie.

"Give me a few minutes, dear. I'm just going to tell Mr. Reed that we're going."

"I'll be by the bar honey."

"Okay." Riley gave her a quick nod, and another smile. He made a beeline for Mr. Reed, and was about to tell him his message but the big boss immediately grabbed him with a meaty hand and drew him close. "Oof – Mr. Reed I have to –"

"Give me a second here Carpenter. I want to introduce you to a close friend and associate of mine, I'm sure you've heard of him, someone who had found those two big treasures –" _Oh damn_, was the only thing that went through Riley's head as he tried to shrink into a little pea, but since that didn't work, he had his face smooth into a stoic, passive expression. "– Mr. Benjamin Franklin Gates."

Ben turned, and Riley tried again, vainly, to slip from Mr. Reed's grip. Ben's eyes settled on Riley, and it widened in shock. "Ben, here's Justin Carpenter; the man I was telling you about. He developed that security system – ParaShield 3.0 or something like that – the genius that protects the secrets of my company and many others. He's a trusted employee; head of the technical security team." Mr. Reed beamed at Riley, and Riley managed a small smile.

Riley held out a tense hand, and Ben reached out to shake it. "Nice to finally meet you, R- Mr. Carpenter."

"You too, Mr. Gates." Riley whispered, and turned to whisper to Mr. Reed. Mr. Reed frowned, but gave Riley a slap on his back. "Mr. Reed, Mr. Gates, I'm afraid I have to excused. My wife is waiting for me by the bar; she's tired. We also have to check in on the children, so we have to leave." Riley's mouth worked automatically. "Please excuse me." He made a brisk nod at Ben, who managed an "I hope to see you around, Mr. Carpenter." Mr. Reed's wide smile had entered his face again, and he hooked an arm around Ben. "You two would get along well." He remarked, and Riley imperceptibly grimaced. _You have no idea._ "Carpenter – I'll see you tomorrow at that brunch."

"Yes sir. Good evening Mr. Reed, Mr. Gates." And Riley collected his wife, and they made their way back to the hotel.

* * *

Ben felt frozen. He just saw Riley. He was positive it was Riley, though a little thinner and more muscular, a little stubble, lines creasing his forehead, a _lot_ older… it was still Riley. He would recognize him anywhere.

Apparently, he was "Justin Carpenter" now, and Ben understood why "Riley Poole's" record suddenly faded into nothing. Ben frowned. How many times have Riley changed his name? Two? Three? Five? It seemed like the young man was used to it. Nobody would be able to make the connection between the records, except for little similarities, and of course, the pictures.

But that wasn't what was solely on Ben's mind. What nagged at him was that _Riley_ was here, the Riley that he had been looking for ten years – his best friend, his brother…. someone he drove away after some accusations that hadn't been founded on logic, but was instead brought about by sheer anger of the moment. _He_ drove Riley away.

Even through time, the guilt didn't go away. Whoever told him that it would get easier was a horrible liar.

Riley, or _Justin_, Ben corrected himself, was apparently _married_. And he had _kids_. Ben had always imagined that he'd see Riley's children grow up, and Riley his. That was ten years ago, and Ben knew he should have expected better. But he didn't.

What was worse that he knew it was all his fault.

All he knew was that he wanted his best friend back. It might sound really childish and juvenile, but he actually _missed_ Riley, and want him _back_.

He just wanted everything to be right again.

* * *

Ashley Morgan watched her husband, Justin Carpenter, _or_ _Riley Poole_, closely as they drove back to the hotel. He was quiet, and it unnerved her. Her husband was _never_ quiet. Or if he was, there would be a comfortable buzz about him.

This Riley beside her, though, was rather _painfully_ quiet. The air around him was sharp with long-almost-forgotten pain, and it felt different.

Things like this made her feel like she didn't know her husband _at all_.

_He has too many secrets. Secrets that he can't tell, even to _me_._

She understood some of it, really. But sometimes, she just thought that Riley simply couldn't bear all this alone. _Nobody deserves to bear anything like this alone_.

"Honey?" Ashley's hand moved to Riley's palm, and Riley closed his fingers over it.

"Hey." Riley murmured with a smile.

"Are you okay?" Ashley asked. She squeezed Riley's hand.

"Yeah. I will be."

"But _are_ you?" Ashley insisted.

Riley squeezed Ashley's hand, and left it at that. Ashley knew better than to try and force an answer out of Riley – he would probably just snap. The first time she tried that, Riley almost screamed at her, but instead he just walked out of the restaurant and leaned over the car wearily. The second time, she got the same treatment. She never tried again.

They arrived at the hotel, and both made their way up to the suite. Ashley pulled the blanket over their sleeping kids, and kissed them on the forehead. Riley kissed them on the forehead, too, and whispered his love and a prayer to both. They left the room, and Ashley thanked her personal babysitter. The sitter retired to her own bed, and that left Ashley and Riley in the suite's living room.

"Riley? Do you want to talk about it?" Ashley said, using Riley's real name this time. Mostly, she used Justin, but when she was trying to get some answers (or when she was really angry) she used his _real_ name.

Riley shook his head, and instead sipped from his coffee mug. Ashley sighed. "Are you sure?" Riley nodded, and Ashley sighed. She stood up to go to bed, and maybe take a nice, long hot shower first…

"I don't understand it, Ash."

Ashley stopped, and turned to look at Riley. "What don't you understand?" She sat back down again.

"I _hate_ him, Ashley. We were friends for years, and one simple misunderstanding he…" Riley placed his coffee down. "I never wanted to see him again, and now this."

Ashley smiled sadly at Riley, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Look, the past can never be changed. But it's been years – maybe you should give him a chance."

Riley shook his head, and shrugged Ashley's hand off. "You don't understand." He murmured, and left for the bedroom.

Ashley sighed again. "Yes, I don't understand. Not until you tell me."

* * *

Abigail yawned. The kids were tucked in, the dishes were in the dishwasher, and all she wanted to do was crawl into bed. But she still waited for Ben. It had been their routine to wait for each other when someone was late.

Abigail looked around the house. Toys were strewn about – the housekeeper had not cleaned up for the night yet. Abigail had told her to go to bed early tonight, that the cleaning could wait until tomorrow. Abigail sank in the soft couch, and she took in the sight.

_It was just like this ten years ago_. She thought to herself. Abigail felt a pang of sadness as she observed the house.

Ever since Riley left, everything had been a little different.

There was no one stirring up a storm of left behind gadgets and toys (except her children, but they arrived only a few years back, and it wasn't the same), no one talking up a tirade about crop circles and what else could be hidden in the President's secret book, no one suddenly appearing in the kitchen in the middle of a night for a mug of hot milk and a chocolate chip cookie (not even her kids did that.)

It was different. It was 'quiet', but something was _missing_.

She couldn't believe how used she was to Riley's presence around the house, that even after ten years, she still missed him terribly.

Abigail wondered what happened to him.

After the misunderstanding (misunderstanding might be an understatement) that Ben and Riley had, Abigail had tried to console Ben, telling him that there was no harm done, that they got the money back anyway… but the man wouldn't listen. Ben went on about Riley abusing their trust and grabbing their money like it was his – Abigail wanted to reason out for Riley. After all, he was Ben's best friend, and she knew it wasn't fair for Ben to just blame everything on Riley like that.

But Ben's mind wouldn't budge. She had learned to love and work around that resolute mind of his, but it was times like that that made Abigail want to punch him in the face and leave him.

And so she _did_ slap him, and then told him that Riley was too important to Ben for him to alienate the techie just like that. "Ben! Riley's your best friend! I doubt that _he_, of all people, would do this to you! I'm sure it's all just a mix up at the bank." She had said. "Besides, haven't you ever thought of how many times you've taken him for granted? Don't tell me you don't do this Ben, I've _seen_ you. Then you go ahead and do this to him?" She had walked out on him then to let off steam, and came back after a couple of days.

She found Ben frantically calling people, papers strewn about. He looked tired, his eyes bloodshot – he looked panicked and frightened. "Riley's gone."

"What do you mean gone?"

"I mean just… _gone_! Just like that! I called his numbers, I emailed him, I even went on his blog, his facebook… I went to his apartment – he doesn't even live there anymore." Ben ran fingers through his hair. "He's gone!"

Abigail's heart quickened. "He… it's…" She grabbed her phone, and made some calls of her own.

Weeks passed, and still no sign, no news of Riley.

After a month they started moving on little by little, but once in a while Abigail would hear Ben on the phone, talking to Sadusky, asking about tabs on Riley or something.

Abigail sighed, and glanced around the house again_. No, nothing is the same without Riley._

The door opened, and Ben rushed over to her, took her in his arms, and squeezed her tight. She felt hot tears drop on her sleeve, and she turned to look at Ben.

There was a huge smile on his face, and he was_ crying. _

"Ben? What is it?" Abigail asked.

"I found him, Abigail. I found Riley."

* * *

Okay, so… erm… review, please! Hehehe. Next chap's gonna come - not as soon as this one, but I hope it'll come way before January ends, lol.

-Jaeh


	3. Chapter 2

**Thanks for all the reviews, guys! Here's another update. xD**

**Filler chapter alert.**

* * *

"You found Riley?" Abigail's eyes lit up, and she laughed. She squeezed Ben close, and wiped a tear that fell from her eye. "H-how? How did you find him? How is he? Where is he?"

Ben let Abigail go, and sighed. Abigail joined him on the couch."He... he seems okay."

"Well that's great, Ben!" Abigail beamed. They found Riley – they _actually_ found him and he was okay, and… Abigail traced a thumb on Ben's cheek. "What's wrong?"

"He hs a family. He has kids, he has a wife…" Ben trailed off, and buried his head into his hands. "We weren't there, Abigail. _I _wasn't there." He looked up. "He hates me. He was running. I knew he was running- the dinner was only halfway through and…"

Abigail shook Ben a little. "Come on, Ben! You sawhim. That's what matters. _You found him_." She took him in her arms, and said, "You can worry about what you're going to do about it later. What's important is that you found him."

Abigail pushed a strand of hair from her eyes, and rubbed Ben's shoulders. "I miss him so much." Her eyes were distant and unfocused. She turned to Ben. "Tell me how you found him."

"He's Reed's tech adviser. The person who created Parashield 3.0." Ben said. "He was at the dinner. Reed also said that Riley's gonna be there tomorrow for brunch."

"Parashield 3.0? Wasn't the inventor named Carpenter?" Abigail asked.

Ben sat up. "Yeah. Riley changed his name." Ben rubbed his forehead. "He was so _determined_ to run from me… I drove him away, Abigail. It's all my fault." He sighed heavily.

Abigail thought she heard all the pain and the guilt come out in that one sigh. The only thing Abigail could do was give Ben a hug.

They both missed Riley. Badly. He had been a part of their lives **– **he was with them for seven years, and then he was just… gone, just like that. Abigail missed him so much…

And she knew that Ben did even more.

* * *

_He knocked twice on the door, and hugged his jacket closer to his body. Rain pelted Riley mercilessly, drenching him from head to toe._ _He shivered._

_The building's owner just stared at him, and gave him three words as a form of dismissal: We are full._

_Riley wasn't having the best day. Other than getting kicked out of his former life (okay, so he _ran_ – but what's the difference?), he had drove down to New York in a torrential downpour, and the top of his car wouldn't go up. Without a mechanic, he couldn't do anything, and so he decided to stop by some seedy-looking hotel and asked for a room, hoping for at least some sort of shelter while waiting out the rain._

_All he got was a glare, a message that they were full, and that the owner didn't want anyone who isn't a customer lounging around the lobby. Riley returned to his car, and sat in it, clutching his jacket and what little protection it gave him._

_This was all Ben's fault. _

_Riley slammed his fists against the steering wheel. _All_ Ben's fault. He drove Riley away, he accused him – he felt like he was betrayed by Ben. It was ridiculous that Ben blamed him for a little mistake that Riley didn't even do! Riley just wanted to start over and leave the pain behind, but no matter how far drove the feeling of betrayal seemed to cling to him like the wet clothes he wore now._

_The raindrops made everything feel a little gloomier. He looked up at the dark sky. "WHY?! What have I ever done to deserve this?!" He yelled, and slammed his fists on to the steering wheel again."I lost my life! I lost my best friend! And there's this horrible rain! It's like adding insult to injury! Are you going to make me suffer like this?! Really?!" He slammed his fists on to the steering wheel again. "This is all that Ben's fault. All _his_ fault." He whispered, and leaned his forehead forward._

_Tears mixed with rain fell from his face.

* * *

_

Riley awoke with a start, and kicked off the sheets. He rubbed his face and his eyes, in an effort to wake himself up, and cursed softly.

_Of all possible dreams, my mind has to bring up a _memory_?!_ Riley slipped out the door, and made his way to the living room. He rubbed his arms, and placed a mug of water in the microwave. Riley sat on the chair, and sighed. He rubbed his eyes.

He hated dreaming memories. He hadn't gotten any bad dreams for so longand he had gottenquite used to a peaceful night's sleep, and now this.

Honestly, though, Riley's had worse dreams than this. But he knew that once it started, they wouldn't stop plaguing him.

"Riley?"

Riley looked behind him. Ashley stood there, her hair sticking up in some places, but Riley thought she still looked as beautiful as ever. Ashley rubbed her eyes, and sat down beside Riley. "Bad dream?"

Riley gave her a surprised look that said, 'how'd you know?', and shrugged. Ashley ruffled his hair, and Riley laughed a little. "Stop that."

"You like it when I do that." She said suggestively, and Riley laughed more.

His laughter died down when he remembered laughing at Abigail and Ben, ruffling his hair after a long hard day's work of looking for _and finding_ clues, and he remembered even _laughing_ at the notion, and swatting the hand away.

_Stop that… _He used to say, while laughing himself, and would playfully jab a fist at Ben.

The last time he did that, it accidentally connected with Ben's nose, and he and Abigail ended up giggling madly over Ben scowling as he plugged his nostrils with rolls of tissue paper…

"Riley? Are you okay?" Ashley's voice came in worriedly, and Riley's eyes went back into focus. He shook the flashback out of his head, and scowled.

_I didn't need that…_

"Yeah. I was just thinking…" He plastered on a crooked smile, and stood up. "I need to go get something." He said, and grabbed a packet of instant coffee from a tray, and made himself a steaming mug.

Ashley looked on as Riley brought in the tray. "Is that coffee?" She asked, gesturing at the mug. "Can't sleep? Coffee would only make it worse."

Riley shook his head, and shrugged. Ashley sighed. "I won't understand until you tell me about this, Riley."

"I don't want to talk about it." Riley murmured, and mixed the honey into the mug.

"When _are_ you going to talk about it, honey?" Ashley said gently. "Keeping it in doesn't –"

"I _said_ I don't want to talk about it. Please, Ash, it's late. You should go back to bed." Riley said.

Ashley frowned. "Riley please. I want to understand why –"

"Please Ashley." Riley vaguely pleaded. "I don't want to talk about it."

He might never, Riley knew. He didn't want to face it, right now. He ran from it for years, and he didn't want to be forced to return to a life he left on purpose.

His wife knew what she needed to know – his names, his past with Ben… but she didn't know everything.

Like why Riley was so affected by this one betrayal.

It wasn't like him not to trust people, or to turn away. But his past had taught him that if he was fooled once, he could be fooled twice, and he didn't really want to go back to _that_ again.

There was no question – he trusted his wife. Wholeheartedly. But he didn't trust himself to be strong for this.

It was exactly why he ran.

* * *

_I don't understand._

Ashley sighed, and left for the bedroom. Riley was never like this. He was strong and resilient, even if the whole world seemed to fall apart for their family.

But now he seemed like he was pushing everyone away.

Even Ashley.

And she didn't understand.

_There is a whole other part of him that I don't know. That I don't understand. And I want to know._

She didn't know why her husband wouldn't open to her. What was he afraid of? Didn't he trust her?

Ashley shook her head. Of course Riley trusted her. Riley told her about his names. His running.

She was thankful that Riley was never going to run from his family. He had told her so.

She just wished that she knew how to help her husband.

_Maybe someone else could help me.

* * *

_

He knew that Ben was going to go to the brunch. He didn't know how, but Riley was _certain_ Ben was going to that brunch. So he told Mr. Reed that his family wanted to go sight-seeing, and that he wanted to look around, too (not that he'd _never_ been to Washington D.C.). Mr. Reed just gave a small laugh (thank God that his boss wasn't uptight, Riley thought gratefully) and told Riley that the brunch could be moved the next day or so. Riley thanked Mr. Reed, and put down the phone.

_Oh crap. Wait…_

Sightseeing meant facing his past. And his memories.

But he didn't want to face Ben.

Riley groaned. He wasn't sure which was worse.

They started with the National Archives. His kids were so excited to see the Declaration of Independence, babbling about some guy who stole it (of all the things they can think of, _that's_ what they're most excited about) and both even asked Riley if it was possible.

Riley put on his best smile, and told them that…. that… "I don't know."

"Aw, dad. You know everything! How can you _not_ know?!"

Riley laughed, and pulled on his daughter's braid. "No one can know everything, kiddo."

Ashley smiled at their daughter, and placed a hand on Riley's arm. "Justin, do you mind looking after the kids for a second? There's just something..."

Riley was still laughing as his kids planned for themselves how to "steal" the Declaration of Independence. Everything other than his children momentarily forgotten, he waved at Ashley, indicating that he didn't mind.

He took his kids down to the steps, doing his best to ignore the Washington Monument in the distance…

"_This is… huge." Riley paused. "Prison... huge. You are gonna go to prison. You know that, right?"_

"_Yeah, probably."_

"_Well, that would… bother most people."_

The conversation echoed in his head, and he stared at the steps. He could still imagine standing up, gesturing to Ben…

"Daddy Daddy! You're it you're it!"

This wasn't the time to think of his past. His children were here. His _present_ was here.

And Riley knew he should enjoy it before his past came to haunt him again.

* * *

Ashley grinned at the little slip she gave her husband. She knew the Riley would never let him do this, so she figured that the kids were a good distraction, and the thought made her chuckle a little.

"Mrs. Gates is ready to see you now, Mrs. Carpenter."

Ashley nodded, and got up from her chair. She peeked in the door, and saw a blonde woman, flipping through work files, her hair pushed back by some hair pins, and glasses framing her blue eyes.

"How may I help you, Mrs. Carpenter?"

"Mrs. Gates," Ashley started with a sharp inhale. "I'm Riley Poole's wife, Ashley Carpenter, and I need to talk to you about my husband."

* * *

**Well, I'd say it's progressing. Little by little. Hm, so Ashley went to meet Abigail. I wonder…**

**Review please! ;)**


	4. Chapter 3

**Update! xD There's some sort of violence here, so… warning.**

**There's actual plot here naw. :)**

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* * *

**

Abigail's jaw dropped, but she recovered quickly with a smile. "Ashley Carpenter. It's… very nice to meet you."

"I can't say I've heard much about you, Mrs. Gates." The other woman said. "I'm sorry about that."

It hurt to hear that Riley didn't speak of her much. But Abigail didn't let it show. Instead, she put on an understanding smile. "Please, call me Abigail."

"Please, call me Ashley."

She didn't know what to say. Neither did Ashley, so it would seem, and they remained in comfortable silence, each watching and observing the other.

Abigail took in Ashley's long, red hair, and soft brown eyes that were filled with concern. Abigail felt at ease with the woman, and she smiled at her reassuringly. Ashley then sighed. "He's shutting me out, Abigail. I don't know what to do."

"Shutting you out?"

"Riley's shutting me out. I don't know what else I can do. This… this has never happened before. He's told me everything. His past with Ben – even if it wasn't a lot – his names, his parents, his brother… But I know there's something he's not telling me… I don't understand." Ashley whispered.

Abigail placed a hand on Ashley's. She didn't say anything, just offering the comfort of silence. Ashley continued. "It's like a whole chunk of his life was missing. But when I try asking him… I really don't know what else to do." Ashley shook her head, trying not to cry. She laughed a little. "I feel a little silly telling you this. We just met."

"But you've known Riley, too. And I don't know who else to talk to." Ashley said. She looked up expectantly at Abigail.

Abigail didn't know what to say. Seven years with Riley Poole, and she didn't know him as well as she thought.

And she just realized that.

She was almost in the same boat as Ashley – except Ashley knew about the _names_. _What names?_

"I'm sorry, Ashley. I… I don't know much more than you." Abigail smiled sadly. "He… Riley never really opened up to us. We tried asking, but he wouldn't tell us anything. We don't even know his family." _We know nothing about him._ Abigail sighed heavily. She might have known Riley's quirks, his character, his craziness (_I did put up with him for seven years_, Abigail thought), but there was nothing in there about Riley's past.

Abigail had thought that she didn't really need to know it, so she didn't pry (She never could, anyway; whenever she tried to ask, Riley evaded every question). _Riley's past doesn't matter, what matters is who he is now,_ Abigail had thought.

But now she knew that she needed to know Riley's past to understand who he really is.

It was like Riley was bound by the past, and there was nothing Abigail (and so it seemed, even Ashley) could do about it.

Unless they knew what _that_ past was, there was nothing they could do.

* * *

"We're gonna go see mommy, okay?"

"Yay Mommy!" The boy giggled, and Ben smoothed his fuzzy hair over. The boy shook his head, and scowled. "I don' lik'it when you do that, Daddy!"

Ben laughed, smiling at his son. "I know, kiddo." He swung the child around, and lifted the kid on his shoulders with a grunt. "Wow, you're growing up fast."

"Yeah! And I'll grow big and strong like you daddy and gonna get tre-sers too!"

"It's tre-shurz, or treasures, Chuck." A little girl explained with the seriousness of a history professor. She then pulled on Ben's arm. "Dad, can I go see the Declaration of Independence again?"

"Charlie, you see it almost every day when you drop by mommy's office after school."

"But dad! It's the Declaration of Independence! You said yourself that its one of the most important documents in the whole United States, signed by 56 people on July 4, 1776 – some after July 4, the foundation of the government, and –"

"It's okay, honey, daddy knows. You can go and take a look at the Declaration now."

"Yes!" The girl ran up the steps, and headed straight into the building. Ben was left standing on the bottom of the steps, looking up the National Archives' building.

_So many things happened here._ He thought to himself, and he smiled a little. It had been long since he last reminisced about things, but having Riley around brought up a lot of memories.

Ben sighed. He could only hope he could find some way to get Riley's trust back.

He knew he was wrong. He realized it only after he drove Riley away.

He just lost it. He blamed stress – everything just exploded, and he regretted every moment of it when he realized what he just did.

Ben sighed and swung his son around. Chuck giggled, bouncing around on his shoulder. His son pointed to someone. "Daddy! Look! I wanna play too!" There were kids running around in the distance, and it seemed like the father was playing too.

"Let's go ask if we could play too, then." Ben said, and placed Chuck down. The child toddled fast up the stairs, and Ben jogged to catch up. Chuck immediately ran over to the other running boy, and the two started playing. The girl stopped running, and dashed back to her dad, who picked his daughter up and swung her around.

"Aw geez, kiddo, you're getting heavy."

He sounded familiar. Ben blinked. He realized that the father was awfully familiar .

Ben almost smacked himself. "Riley?" He whispered. The father seemed to freeze, but didn't turn. He instead pulled his daughter close to himself and whispered something into the child's ear. The child giggled.

Ben tried again, using another name. "Justin?"

This time, Riley turned. Riley smiled a little, turned to his daughter, and pushed her towards the two boys running around. "Hello, Mr. Gates."

"Riley, there's no need –"

"I'm sorry, sir, but I really don't know who Riley is."

_Oh, so we're playing this game, then._ "I'm sorry, Mr. Carpenter. Please, call me Ben." Ben held out a hand, but Riley ignored it.

"I'd rather not, really Mr. Gates. I need to call someone, please excuse me for a second." Riley pulled out his cell phone, and started speaking urgently into the speaker in hushed tones.

Ben attempted to smile, but failed. He settled for a passive look as Riley turned to look at him. "Mr. Gates, I'm sorry, but we really have to go. Nice meeting you and your… son."

Ben really did smile this time. "Chuck. His name's Chuck. My daughter, Charlie's in there, staring at the Declaration again."

Riley nodded curtly. "Thanks for your time, Mr. Gates." He then turned to his children. "Matt, Tori, come on. Mom's gonna meet us in the car."

"But dad-"

"Come on guys. We'll get ice cream later." Both kids appeared to look incredulously at Riley, and his daughter frowned.

"Dad, mom won't let us."

Riley held up a finger to his lips, and pushed the children gently down the stairs, and left.

Ben sighed. Riley still evaded him. He knew that he did something wrong, and he would do anything, _anything_ to make it up to Riley. But he didn't know what to do.

_Even if I did, how would I do it if Riley won't even give me a chance?_ Ben thought to himself. He sighed. He needed Riley's trust back, first, even if it meant starting their friendship all over again.

* * *

Ashley clicked her phone off, and sighed. "It was Riley. He saw Ben on the steps, and had to leave. I'm sorry, Abigail, I need to go." Both stood up, and the women shook hands.

Abigail handed her a calling card. "If you need to contact me about anything, Ashley…"

Ashley nodded at Abigail, and turned around to leave. She thought for a moment, and glanced at Abigail. "I want to talk about what happened about Riley and Ben. I want to know how Riley was before he met me." Ashley said, biting her lip nervously. She wasn't sure how the other woman would respond, but she wanted to try, at least. "Would it be possible if…"

"It wouldn't be a problem. Just give me a call, and I'll have my schedule cleared." Abigail said with a reassuring smile. Ashley nodded, and left.

All she wanted was to help her husband, and she felt like Abigail could help her.

_Oh God I really hope she can._

She went down the steps of the building, looking around to see if she could still spot her husband and the children. Someone bumped into her, and Ashley murmured her apologies, and looked up.

Ashley had researched, back then, about Ben Gates in order to know more about Riley's past. She looked up news clippings and articles about the man and his excursions.

She thought she would recognize his face _anywhere_, especially now. "Ben." She said breathlessly in shock. Ashley didn't think she would actually meet met the man, but figured that it was about time. She didn't hear much about him from Riley, but she knew about the fight, and she was interested to know who drove her husband away.

The man half-turned, clearly hearing her. "Excuse me?" He said.

Ashley shook her head. "I'm sorry, Mr… ah, Gates. I just recognized you from the news. I should really watch where I'm going."

Ben smiled, laughing a little. "It's not a problem." He paused, and blinked at Ashley a little. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

A girl tugged on Ben's hand. "Dad, come on! Mom told me she'll be showing cool new artifacts for me today! How awesome is that?!"

"Excuse me." He said, and followed the little girl. Ashley watched him go up the stairs and into the building, and she shook her head.

_His daughter_, Ashley thought. She then sighed. _How much did Riley and Ben miss from each other's lives?_

_

* * *

_

"Daddy, Chuck and I played tag!" Matt blabbered, running around with his ice cream cone. "I tag him fast, but I let him tag me too 'cause he's a kid and can't run as fast as me." He licked his cone, and tugged on Riley's pant leg. "Dad, I want to play with Chuck again. You talked to his dad – so do you know him? Are you friends? I want to play with Chuck again! Please daddy please daddy please!"

"We'll see, kiddo." Riley said, reaching for his wallet. He handed the ice cream guy some money, and the trio left. "Maybe."

Matt settled on a bench with a scowl. "But when you say that it doesn't happen."

Riley couldn't help but smile. "Hey, you never know." He bit into the ice cream bar he held, and looked up when he thought he heard someone scream for his name – not Riley, but his "real" name.

"Justin! I thought I told you not to feed the children ice cream before lunch!"

Riley turned to look at his wife, Ashley, who grabbed his bar and bit into it. "I'm confiscating this from you." She teased.

"Hey, buy your own." Riley protested, grabbing it back. "Where have you been?" He asked. He wondered where she went, but didn't think much about it.

"Oh, somewhere." Ashley answered, and went off to buy some ice cream.

Riley shrugged. He didn't know why, but there was something about his wife that made him completely trust her.

He knew it was because she married him, and that was an ultimate demonstration of commitment and trust.

Well, at least, he trusted her with what he could bring himself to entrust to her. There were just some parts of his life that he would rather bury deep in his subconscious that even he was reluctant to face himself.

And he hoped that they would stay buried forever.

* * *

Abigail watched her children stumble in the door, and both gave her hugs and kisses before running back outside again. She didn't worry about them, for she knew that her secretary would head them off before they go out running into the archives and breaking something.

"Hey honey, how was your day?" Ben gave her a kiss. "I finished classes early today so I could pick up the kids. Chuck had been pushing to go to the Smithsonian again for a while now, something about the Air and Space Museum, and I thought you could get off work to come with us. What do you think?"

Abigail smiled. "I would love to."

"Anything interesting today, Abigail?" Ben asked, sitting in front of her. Somehow, he always knew if there was something new that day, and Abigail never was sure if she was happy or annoyed by it.

Usually she told him what was up, and Ben would always understand. He would comment on a situation, help with a problem, just simply make her feel good about the day. But she wasn't sure if she should tell him about Ashley.

She knew that he would tend to be over eager about Riley – he wanted to make amends a little too badly, knowing that it was his fault that Riley left after that huge misunderstanding with the money.

Come to think of it, no one ever really found out who mucked with the bank's computer system. The bank just fixed the records afterwards, telling them that it seemed like it was a computer glitch of some sort.

Ben cleared his throat, and that brought Abigail back to the present. She just smiled at him. "New artifacts came in yesterday, and they seem to be in great condition. Also, I'm supervising new research on some Native American customs that seem to be connected to the expeditions of the British colonizers, and it seems to have some sort of connection to the artifacts." Abigail said. It was true anyway, and she was a little excited about it. "And yes, I would be glad to go with you and the kids. I'll just rearrange my schedu le." She flashed a smile. "How about you, dear?"

"I saw him on the steps today." Ben said.

"Riley?" Abigail asked, trying her best to look surprised. "And what happened?"

Ben nodded, frowning. He sighed. "He's still trying to avoid me. He wouldn't even look at me, Abigail." His shoulders dropped, and his eyes took on a glaze of sadness that Abigail recognized as defeat. "I saw his kids… We weren't a part of that… I always thought…" He trailed off, and he looked away.

Abigail placed her hand on Ben's shoulder, and Ben turned to face her. "Ben, listen to me. Everything's going to be okay. We'll work through this. Give it time."

Ben shook his head. "Seven years, Abigail. I've given it nothing but time. I think I can wait a little more." He said, smiling a little. He gave Abigail a kiss.

"I'll go see what the kids are doing, and free your secretary if they tied her up." Ben left, and Abigail could hear some sort of commotion out her door which made her just smile and shake her head.

She frowned and shifted in her seat, feeling a little guilty from hiding Ashley's visit. But as of now, Abigail thought that it would be better if he didn't know.

* * *

Riley tucked in the children. After a long day of playing tourist (they stayed a little too long in the Library of Congress – the children couldn't stop gawking at the amount of books), the kids had to be pushed to brush their teeth before they fell asleep standing up.

They were heading off to The Smithsonian tomorrow afternoon, after Riley's brunch with his boss. Riley didn't want to go – he was certain Ben was going to be there – but he had no choice. The boss had spoken.

He couldn't believe he met Ben earlier. It felt like someone was working against him, like someone was pushing for him and Ben to meet over and over again. Never mind that Abigail worked at the Archives; it was still an obvious set up by who was watching over Riley.

And he didn't like it one bit.

But all in all, he had fun bonding with his family, and he couldn't argue with that.

_If only Mom, Dad, and Danny could see this, _he told himself sadly. Riley never really got over his family's death (realistically, who does, right, Riley thought), and having a family of his own brought back a lot of good memories.

Just like how seeing Ben again brought back not-so-good ones.

Riley sighed, and just snuggled next to his already-sleeping wife in the bed, and closed his eyes.

If he wasn't so tired from taking care of the children, he probably would have been up all night, plagued by memories.

But sleep didn't give him the rest that he wanted.

* * *

_Riley scooted into a corner, holding his hands up. "No more, please!" He begged. "I'll do it, Ed, just don't –"_

_Thwack Thwack!_

_The stick hit him again twice, scratching his already-bruised skin and making it bleed. "Don't call me Ed. I'm your guardian, and you should give me respect."_

_"Yes sir! I'll do it! Please just stop…" Tears and sweat soaked Riley's shirt, and he whimpered as the stick came down on him again._

_It stopped a few centimeters from his skin._

"_Thank you, Riley." Ed's grin stretched to his ears. "It's just a little algorithm, a few taps into the keyboard and you're in the database! It's easy as pie!" He held out a hand for Riley to take, who drew back a little before taking the man's hand._

"_I-I'm sorry, s-sir. I won't do it again, I promise." Riley said, sniffing and wiping his nose on a sleeve. He combed his fingers through his hair, and started tapping at the keyboard until the panel lit up with a message stating that he was in. _

_Ed mussed Riley's hair. "See, that was quick! Now, I want you to search for the blueprints and security system weak spots. If you're done, call me, alright?"_

"_Y-yes sir."_

_He had no choice but to follow orders. Ed was his guardian after all, and he had nowhere else to go if the man decided to get rid of him. Riley tapped into the database, bypassed the firewall and got the information he needed._

_It would be so easy to delete the files he just got. Riley might only be fifteen, but he knew what these were for._

_Ed was up to something again. The last time Riley hacked into a system for files like this, after a week, a bank had been robbed and Riley had a new computer to use for jobs like this, and they moved houses._

_He knew Ed had to be involved, somehow._

_But Riley saw the stick. He shuddered, and rubbed at the tender bruises on his thighs, legs and arms. He didn't want another beating again. Every time he didn't do what Ed wanted him to do, he got beaten. At first, Ed explained to Riley that he must obey his guardian, and they weren't doing anything wrong, and the beating was punishment. For a while he believed him, and the beatings stopped._

_Then he grew up, and figured things out. And since then, the punishment never stopped until he begged for forgiveness and did what was asked._

_He shuddered, and printed the papers, and limped towards Ed, who greeted him with an impish smile._

"_Now that's my good boy." _

* * *

Riley jumped from his bed, his heart thudding fast. Sweat soaked his shirt and dripped from his forehead despite the coolness in the room. Beside him, his wife stirred, still sleeping soundly.

He gripped the sheets hard in his hand, digging nails into his palm. Riley shuddered.

Those memories were something he thought he had buried deep in his mind and in his past.

And now they were back, and Riley couldn't do anything but let long-forgotten tears fall down his face.

* * *

**D: Riley! D: Ben! D:**

**So the story moves. Stay tuned for more. ^^ **

**Review, please x)**

**-Jaeh**


	5. Chapter 4

**ACK! Please don't hit me! I know it's my fault… I know, two months… I know, too long… I know… *ducks to hide from rotten fruit anyway* Blame Real Life! AAAAAAAH!**

***cough***

**Well, here be plot again. I hope I made the long chapter worth your wait. :)**

**First, thanks to Lori for her beta skills, and her reminders about this chapter. ARGH, two months!**

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* * *

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For once, Riley was glad that his wife was tired enough to sleep heavily. He pulled back the covers and grabbed a nearby robe. He slipped an arm through one sleeve, and quietly let himself out into the balcony.

The hotel overlooked some trees, and he could see the Washington Monument illuminated in the distance. He sank into a plush, overly luxurious chair, and rubbed his temples with his fingers.

He didn't need this.

He had been chasing those dreams away for years now, trying to occupy himself with other things – studying, hacking – hell, even _treasure-hunting_. But now they were back, and he could do nothing but try to endure them.

Riley glanced at the glass door, and saw his wife turn on her side. He smiled, and sighed.

He couldn't tell his wife about this. She would just fuss and worry over ghosts of his past, and that was _his_ problem, not hers.

Riley groaned to himself. He knew that he wasn't going to be able to sleep again tonight.

Ever since he came back, he never seemed to get any sleep at all.

* * *

Sunlight streamed through the curtains and into Riley's eyes, making him squint. The motion aggravated his already-vicious headache, and he gulped down a groan. His children giggled incessantly over breakfast, and Riley had to squelch the impulse to tell the two to shut up.

His wife gave him a small kiss, and reminded him of the brunch with Mr. Reed _and Ben_. Dread filled his senses, aggravating his migraine further.

Riley wanted to curl up back in bed, but instead he tossed down some Tylenol with some aspirin, and swallowed it down with coffee. He wanted to head off whatever was making him sick, and to calm his throbbing head down. And he needed to be awake.

Ashley looked at him with concern, but Riley managed a feeble smile, which seemed to satisfy her for the moment. He lazily sliced his waffles with one hand and pushed them around.

"Daddy, don't play with your food!" Tori scolded, frowning. Riley shook his head. His daughter just scolded him about playing with his food, and he chuckled a little with the irony of it.

"Okay, sweetheart." Riley said, placing a piece in his mouth. "Guys, dad has to go to work."

Everyone, excluding the adults, groaned, but stopped when Riley put up a hand. "I don't want to, either," _more than you kids will ever know. _"but I have no choice. Mom's going to go with you guys to other fun places, okay? You won't even notice I'm gone." Riley nodded at Ashley, who smiled at him in turn.

The kids nodded solemnly, even if it was obvious that neither of them was happy about it. Riley smiled thoughtfully, and shrugged a little. "I'm sorry, but we talked about work, right?"

Tori frowned. "We know, Dad. We just don't want you to go." She gave Riley a hug, who returned it with a strong squeeze of his arms.

It was as if his children knew when Riley wasn't himself, and they always did something to make him smile or feel better.

_God, I love my children. So much. Thank you for them._

Riley inhaled deeply, trying to keep a tear from falling. "I know, kiddo. I'll see you in the afternoon, though. We'll be going to the Smithsonian."

Matt whooped with joy, and hopped from his chair. He grabbed a toy airplane from the sofa and zoomed with it around the table. "We'll see planes!"

Riley laughed, and caught Matt and threw him in the air. "Yes we will, kiddo." He put his son down, and headed for the door. "I'm heading out guys." He waved, and grabbed his bag. He turned the knob, and stepped out.

He barely had a foot outside the room when Ashley gave him a tight hug from behind. "Take care, honey. We love you," she whispered, pressing her cheek against Riley's back. "I love you so much."

Riley smiled, and patted Ashley's hand. He turned around, and gave her a deep kiss. "I know." He winked, and stepped outside. "I love you too." The door clicked close, and Riley found himself alone in the hall.

He was being forced to face his past today. He wondered what he was going to tell Ben.

Riley sighed. He wished his family was with him right now. Ashley giving his hand a reassuring squeeze, Tori clutching his hand tightly and Matt running around them in circles. But they weren't.

He has never felt so alone dealing with the nightmares of his past.

* * *

Riley left, Ashley sat back down, her hands fiddling with the hem of her shirt worriedly. Her daughter watched her with curious eyes. "Mom, is everything okay?"

Ashley smiled at her daughter. She noticed everything around her now, even something as simple as her mom's little expression. "Everything is fine, honey. Now, finish your breakfast, okay? I'm going to make a call, and we'll see if we could meet other children today, before we go meet dad at the Smithsonian. What do you guys think?"

Matt bounced up and down in his seat excitedly. "Really, mom?"

Ashley nodded, and her voice dropped to a whisper. They huddled over cereal, toast, and bacon and eggs. "Just, let's make a promise, okay?"

"Okay."

"This is going to be our little secret from dad, okay? It's a game, you see, and we're going to keep this from your dad like a surprise. When I tell you that you can tell your daddy about this little game we played, that's the only time you can talk to him about it, okay?" Ashley winked at the children. Tori grinned, and Matt nodded.

"Good. Now, the first one who finishes gets to use the bathroom first, so hurry up! I just have to call someone, okay?"

"Okay mom." Tori replied. She then started gesturing at Matt to eat faster, and proceeded to entertain her brother. Ashley watched them for a moment, and when she was satisfied that she could leave them at the table without chaos for a few minutes, she went out to the balcony and dialed her phone.

"Hello, is this Mrs. Gates's phone?" Ashley tucked the phone into her ear, and managed a bite of toast before the person on the other side answered.

"Yes, this is Mrs. Gates. Who's speaking, please?"

"It's Ashley, Abigail." Relief flooded her voice. Ashley didn't know what she would do if it wasn't Abigail who answered. Her secretary would be okay, but if it was Ben… she wasn't sure if she could have said anything. The meeting on the steps still filled her mind, plus all the stories Riley told her about him. It was like she knew Ben already from Riley's stories, and that unnerved her.

"Oh, Ashley! What can I do for you?"

"Look, I was wondering if you want to go out with me and the kids to play in the park, today? I mean, that is, if you're not busy."

"Is there anything wrong?" The voice on the other end sounded worried all of a sudden.

Ashley shook her head in automatic response. "No, no." Ashley managed a little laugh. "It isn't like that. It's just… the brunch."

There was silence on the other end of the line, like Abigail understood what Ashley was saying. After a while, Abigail spoke again. "No problem, Ashley. I'll bring Charlie and Chuck along. My schedule's pretty slow today, anyway. I'll see you in a half hour, or so, in front of the archives?"

"Sure. We'll be there." Ashley hung up, and she exhaled a breath she didn't even know she was holding. She walked back into the kitchen, where Matt was still trying to finish his Froot Loops. Tori, on the other hand, was nowhere in sight, but Ashley figured that she was already in the shower.

She caught Matt up in a hug, and gave him a squeeze.

A spitting image of his father (her family is a huge cliché – her daughter looks just like her, but with her father's blue eyes, and her son like his father but with her hazel eyes), Matt reminded her so much of Riley.

And now all she could do was give her son a hug and a squeeze in lieu of his father. Ashley knew that this was a trying time for Riley, and she couldn't help but worry about her husband, especially now, that he faced many nightmares. And he had no choice.

Ashley squeezed Matt closer, until the child started laughing and squirming in her grip. She smiled a little sadly.

_Riley, be safe._

_

* * *

_

Abigail gave Ashley a hug. She really warmed up to Ashley, and Abigail found herself mentally approving Riley's choice for a wife.

She glanced behind her when he heard a happy shout, and watched Chuck and Ashley's son – Matt (Matt and Tori, Ashley introduced earlier) play tag. She watched the two other girls for a moment, and even if they didn't seem to be instant best friends, they seemed to get along quite nicely.

Abigail turned her attention back to Ashley, who pushed the boys along. "Did Riley go to the brunch?" Abigail asked.

Ashley nodded, biting her lip. "Yes. I'm a little worried. He really appeared like he didn't want to go." She replied softly, so the children wouldn't hear.

Abigail frowned. _Of course he wouldn't want to. It would mean talking to Ben without anybody behind him._ "You're really worried about him, aren't you?"

Ashley smiled, and nodded tiredly. "The Riley I knew for seven years doesn't look this tired, this… _burdened_." They slowed their steps as they came upon a small park and a playground. They sat on a park bench, looking over the children. "He worries me. I've never seen him like this before."

Abigail nodded in agreement. She had never seen him like this back then, either. Even if it had been years, she found herself worrying about Riley.

The two sat in comfortable silence as they watched the children play in the distance.

"The children look like they're getting along quite nicely." Ashley said, smiling.

Abigail smiled. She watched Charlie and Tori chat excitedly now, their arms and hands moving animatedly. Matt and Chuck played tag in the distance, slid down the slide, pushed each other on the swing. "I'm glad they do."

Their conversation faded into talk about their families. An hour passed, and the two women were still talking, catching up on each other's lives.

"Riley was hysterical." Ashley said, and both women laughed. "He was pacing, trying to grab everything that I needed, with me just sitting calmly on the sofa. And after the next contraction, I calmly told him that I prepared the bag ahead of time, and gestured calmly at the kitchen counter. He almost picked me up in his arms and carried me to the car. I think we ran about five red lights, and were actually pulled over by a police car."

Their voices trailed off into general talk, and Abigail glanced every now and then at the children. The sun shined some warmth in the sky.

_This is how it should have been_, she thought to herself. _This is how our lives could have happened._

_

* * *

_

Ashley followed Matt around to a tall slide. He ran towards his mom earlier, and persuaded her to follow to the 'big slide' to watch help him go down. So Ashley excused herself from Abigail for a moment, and ran after her son.

Ashley held her hands out to Matt, who refused to come down. Ashley shook her head, smiling. "Come on, Matt. I'm here to catch you."

"But it's too high!"

"You can do it!" Ashley encouraged more, a huge grin on her face.

Matt finally nodded, and slid down with a squeal. "I wanna do it again!" He yelled, and immediately ran around the slide, and went up the steps.

Ashley watched Matt run. There was sudden clapping from behind her, and she spun.

A man with white, wispy hair stood in front of her, dressed fully in black. His stare was stern, a little scary, but his face smiled at her with grandfatherly reassurance. His eyes, though, betrayed something that made Ashley feel cautious.

"Great show, my boy." The man stated with just enough show of polite pride. "It's such a tall slide."

Matt, from the top of the tower, beamed at the stranger. "Mom! Mom!" Ashley turned, and stretched her arms out to catch the boy. Matt landed in her arms, and he pressed close to Ashley's leg as he looked up at the stranger.

The man with wispy hair wiggled fingers at him, then turned to Ashley. "Hello, what a nice kid you have, Miss."

"Thank you." Ashley replied. The man's presence alone made her feel uneasy. "Nice meeting you sir. We have somewhere to get to." She wasn't really sure how to act, so she pushed Matt away towards Abigail. Matt bounded towards Abigail, who watched Ashley with obvious concern.

"What's your name, miss?" The stranger asked. His grandfatherly smile was tinged with what seemed to Ashley as menace, but she knew she couldn't judge the man based on her own impressions.

Her instincts, though, were ringing alarms even before the man spoke.

Ashley smiled. "I'm sorry, but I don't really talk and give my name out to strangers." She laughed a little, trying to keep her tone light. "My mother told me that much, and I'm teaching it to my children, so I better do it."

The man just laughed, and shook his head. "Yes, that's wise. Well, then, I should leave you to your kids, and to you friend. Nice meeting you, Miss Carpenter." The man left without another word.

Ashley froze. She didn't know how the man knew her, but he did.

He did clearly say "Carpenter", didn't he? Ashley wasn't sure. It worried her, but she just waved it off. Maybe she heard something else.

Her instincts screamed otherwise, but Ashley paid it no mind. She had other things swimming around in her thoughts. And besides, she was here in the park to unwind, to talk to a new friend, and to relax.

Maybe she'd just tell Riley about it tomorrow.

**

* * *

**

Ben arrived exactly on time, and he told the waiter about the reservation. He sat down beside the window, and saw Riley in the distance, making his way towards the restaurant. He started to raise his hand to wave, but thought against it.

After all, things weren't the same as it was before. He sighed, and pretended to study the menu. He heard the chair in front of him move, and he looked up.

Riley sat there, a tired-but-impassive expression on his face. _He looks older, _Ben thought, _of course he'll look older after ten years. He looks tired. His eyes look…_ Ben blinked a little, unsure of what he was seeing. _His eyes look cold._ Ben frowned. He wasn't used to that. Especially not when it was aimed _at_ him.

Ben sighed in his thoughts. He knew that nothing would ever be the same, but he had hoped. The expression in Riley's eyes told him that it would never happen.

Ben's eyes lingered a little too long on Riley's face, and the younger man looked away.

Awkward silence. _Very_ awkward silence. Ben remembered it wasn't like this before. Riley was always talking, or Ben was always explaining. Or the silence would be comfortable.

Ben coughed, just to make a little noise. Riley smiled a little, and started speaking, much to Ben's surprise. "Hi, Mr. Gates." _Oh, so that's still how it's going to be, then._

"Mr. Carpenter. How is your trip to Washington?" He flashed Riley a smile, who nodded a little.

"It's been wonderful, sir. My wife had been enjoying the sights. The children, too."

Ben nodded, his smile widening a little. He thought he was making some progress, getting Riley to open up a little. "Where did you and your family come from?"

"New York was our most recent assignment." Riley's head tilted a little to the left, like he was following someone with his peripheral vision. Ben turned a little, and saw Richard. _Ah, so that's why he spoke. And I thought..._

Richard sat in the chair, still oblivious to Ben and Riley's rather distant treatment of each other. Ben thought that the man had never been sensitive to other people's feelings, and he wondered briefly how Richard got along this far with his company.

"So, Gates, Carpenter! Good to see you both! Carpenter, your sight-seeing been good?"

Riley nodded to Richard, and smiled. "It's been good, sir. The family really enjoys it here."

"What is this, your first, second trip to D.C.?"

Riley shook his head. "This is my first, Mr. Reed." Ben frowned a little. It seemed that Riley really _was_ determined to leave the past behind him. Even when talking about Washington D.C., and the simple question if he had ever been here… "We went to see the Declaration of Independence yesterday. It was an extraordinary piece of history."

Richard grinned widely, and gestured to Ben. "Ben's a history nut himself – I'm sorry, professor and lecturer, going around different universities here in the country. You heard about that treasure that he found – the temple thing…"

"The Templar Treasure, Richard." Ben beamed. "And it wasn't just me. My associate Ri –" Ben almost gestured at Riley, but shook his head. "Riley Poole, was my co-founder."

Riley tensed a little. Ben turned to Riley, determined to elicit more reaction from Riley. "Mr. Carpenter, you look very much like him, actually."

"I'm sure it's just a coincidence." Riley whispered. His hand shakily picked up a glass of wine, and drank half of it immediately.

Richard frowned. "Have you ever heard any news about him yet, Ben?" He asked, and turned to Riley. "His partner disappeared what, five, ten years ago –"

"Ten," Ben provided.

"Ten years ago, and he has never heard from him since. No one knows why." Richard continued. He looked pointedly at Riley, and laughed. "You know, Carpenter, you _do_ look uncannily like Mr. Poole."

Riley choked on his own spit, and started coughing. He grabbed a glass of water and gulped it down. "Excuse me. Uh, that might be sir, but I wouldn't know." He laughed feebly, and Ben tried to hide his frown.

"Yes, yes he does." Ben gave Riley a smile this time. "You know, Mr. Carpenter, Riley was great with computers too. As a technical analyst, I'm sure you and Riley would have a great time together."

Riley averted his eyes. His voice came out as a croak, and he grabbed his water and gulped the rest of it down. "I'm certain, Mr. Gates. If I ever meet him, I'll make sure that he knows how nice _I thought_ _you seemed _to be." He gave Ben a little smile. Ben tapped his foot, trying to keep his frustration at bay. Riley smiled at Mr. Richards. "But, sir, I sure don't know anything about it."

It was obvious that Riley was hiding something, but of course, Richard didn't notice still. The rich company owner observed Riley, and then paused, like he was thinking. He shook his head. "Nah, Ben. The ears don't look the same as the pictures. And Carpenter's leaner."

It was Ben's turn to choke on the water he was drinking. He was caught between a chortle and a grimace at the horrible irony. Riley just shook his head.

Richard looked at the two of them in surprise. "There's nothing wrong with the water here, eh? You both keep on choking." He sniffed his glass a little, and shrugged. "You sure you're both okay?"

Ben nodded. "Uh, yeah. Everything's fine."

"Nothing wrong sir." Riley answered, relaxing a little. He promptly changed the subject before Ben could even say anything further about his 'associate', and that amused Ben a little. "Sir, about the building you want me to supervise security installation…"

Ben idly listened to the talk of schematics and plans, answering every now and again when asked about what he thought on the installation of the system. His mind was still on Riley, thinking on how he might win his friend back.

Riley had changed. Ben could see that. But that didn't matter.

He just wanted to set things right.

**

* * *

**

The brunch was Riley's worst nightmare. It didn't help that his boss was oblivious to the awkward buzz between him and Ben, and actually did all he can to make the brunch go longer.

Riley got out of it after two hours, telling Mr. Reed politely that his family was waiting for him at the Smithsonian.

It didn't occur to him that saying it out loud might have Ben know where he was, but that didn't matter. He only wanted to get away from the awfully uncomfortable brunch that tied him down.

Ben was staring at him pointedly. Mr. Reed watched him expectantly, so Riley had to force a smile. "Good bye, Mr. Gates."

Ben gave him a little nod. Tension was high, and yet his oblivious boss still didn't notice that something was clearly amiss. "Good bye, Mr. Carpenter. I hope I see you again, soon."

_I hope I don't._

Riley left and headed to one of his favorite parks, back when he was still "Riley Poole". He sat on a park bench, and stared at the small pond, with the ducks swimming. He still had an hour to gather his thoughts before he met up with his family.

His mind kept on pulling him back to the brunch. Ben looked so… _sorry_, so _apologetic_. He had to admit, even to himself, that he actually missed Ben.

But then the memories slip into his mind, and he remembered what Ben had accused him of and, how he completely dismissed him…

Anger bubbled up into Riley's consciousness, and he shook his head. He wanted to give it a rest, even just for a while. Anger spent his energy, and he didn't want to feel tired and angry around his family, especially his children.

He had almost convinced himself to calm down and to enjoy the bright day. And so he looked up.

And that was when he saw _him_. Again.

_Cruel, _Riley thought. _This is just cruel._ He wasn't sure if his eyes were lying or what, but he was seeing a definite _demon_ from his past.

There he stood, clad fully in black, his hair wispy white. His face still had the stern-but-gentle look of a school principal, but with undertones of deceit and cruelty that Riley had come to know when he was a child.

_Ed._

He backed away slowly, trying to hide himself from the view. He tried to blend in with the rest of the population and quickly hid himself, but…

"Riley Poole."

Riley cringed, and turned. "Yes, sir?" He mentally kicked himself for letting words automatically slip from his mouth. _Yes, _sir_? What the _hell_, Riley. He doesn't deserve _that!_ He hurt you for years. You're not that kid anymore. _

"Ah," Edward went to him with a smile, but to Riley it looked more like a sneer. Ed hooked an arm over Riley's shoulder, and laughed. "My, my. You have grown _so much_. I'm surprised that you even remember an old man like me."

Riley froze at the touch of the man. "I-it's actually Justin now, sir."

"Justin? Oh, yes. Justin Carpenter. The man who invented Parashield and help protect millions of important files all over the planet. Fancy meeting you here." There was a smug look on Ed's face that Riley just wanted to scratch out, but there was something about the man's presence that just commanded authority. "I'm so proud of you, kid." Ed's grin grew wider.

And Riley still couldn't move. He felt his nightmares creeping up on him.

"Well, Mr. Carpenter, I best be going now. I'll see you around, eh, Riley?" Ed slapped Riley on the back, laughing again. He walked away.

Riley watched him, unmoving from his spot. Ed half turned, and waved at Riley with his fingers, and disappeared in the crowd.

_Oh my God. He's here. Why is he here._

Riley did the only thing he could think of. He ran.

* * *

**So… *rocks back and forth on her heels* What do you guys think? Riley's world is about to fall apart. Again.**

**Plenty more angst and plot to come. ;) and flashbacks. And comfort. Yay. :D**

…**and sorry for the "cliffie". :D**

**-Jaeh**


	6. Chapter 5

**Yet another two months. Yeah, I've got no excuse this time. But I'm NOT going to abandon this fic, don't you guys worry. Thank you, of course, for reviewing and reading. You guys rock my socks off. :p**

**And expect the updates to arrive like this – I'll try to get them out within two months. ;)**

**Here's a little plot, and a lot of past. Well, sort of. The "past" is Riles talking, not much narration about it – but I'll try to get in some narration about it in other chapters. :) There's not really anything about Ben and Abigail in this one – but doooon't worry, you'll see them in the next chapter. Besides, Riley still needs to be friends with Ben again – I still remember the main plot of the story, you know. :p**

**Well… here goes!**

**Bad language from intense angst and anger alert. Especially the second-to-the-last sentence. You are therefore warned.**

* * *

Ashley knew it was Riley even before she picked the cell phone up. She expected him to speak with a fake, cheery voice (because of the brunch, she thought), telling her where they could meet to head over to the Smithsonian. She definitely didn't expect to hear the next sentence.

"A-Ashley. I need you to do something for me…. I need you to leave the kids with Abigail."

"Justin?" She frowned with concern. "Is everything okay?"

"I n-need to talk to you. Now. Abigail's in the National Archives Office, I'm s-sure she'll be okay w-with this, you just have to tell her who you are and who I am, and…"

"Calm down, Jus- Riley. Riley calm down." Ashley whispered, trying to calm her husband down.

Riley wanted to ask for Abigail's help. Even if it wasn't Ben, it was a huge step.

But Ashley wasn't sure if this was good or bad. It was so sudden that even Ashley was surprised. Riley wasn't showing any signs of letting the Gates' back into his life.

And this worried Ashley.

"P-please. I need to talk to you without the kids. I'm heading back to the hotel. Ashley, please just… I… please."

Ashley nodded wordlessly at the phone, almost forgetting that Riley couldn't see her. "Yeah, okay. I'll talk to her. I'll see you in a couple of minutes. I love you, Riley."

The phone call ended. Ashley turned to Abigail, who watched her with concerned eyes. "Abigail, can I ask you a huge favor…"

* * *

Riley clicked his phone off with shaking fingers. He leaned his head against the steering wheel.

He had come so close to running away again. But just one fleeting thought of Ashley and his children, and that was enough to stop him. They grounded him, and he was thankful for that.

When the rush of gratitude faded, he found himself shaking with fear and dread. Ed was here. _Ed was here_, he repeated to himself. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't believe it.

He couldn't. But he couldn't doubt his own eyes and ears, either.

Even if he wasn't sure he was fit to drive, Riley pulled his car on to the road. He headed down the highway slowly at the minimum speed limit, trying to figure out how he was going to explain things to his wife.

He wasn't sure he could. He didn't have the strength to. He would have rather put the past behind him, lock it up someplace and never return to it again. But his own past followed and haunted him.

He groaned, and had to step on the breaks quickly to avoid cutting a red light. Riley frowned. He knew he had to tell Ashley, sooner or later. He just didn't feel like he was ready. His past was… colorful. Colorful and murky.

But Ashley was… Ashley. His wife. He knew that she would understand. He knew that she would be able to bear it.

He just wasn't sure if _he himself_ could.

* * *

Ashley arrived at their suite, and opened the door. Riley sat there on the couch. He looked remarkably stoic, in spite of whatever rattled him, but his face was pale, and his clothes disheveled. "Hey." He whispered.

"Riley? What happened?" Ashley sat down beside him. Riley looked bone-weary, and he sunk into the couch, dropping the stoic mask he held.

"Are the kids okay?" He asked, clearly stalling. He dropped his head on to Ashley's shoulder, and sighed.

Ashley nodded. "They're with Abigail, playing with her kids. They'll be fine. Abigail took it rather well." _Considering we've known each other for only three days, that's actually pretty good._

Riley nodded. "Yeah. Abigail's been good with going along for the ride. When me and Ben 'kidnapped' her, she just went along with it." He chuckled a little, even though it sounded hollow.

Ashley placed her hand on Riley's lap, and spoke gently. "Riley, honey, please stop stalling."

Riley gave her a crooked smile, and buried his face into her hair and inhaled. "I'm sorry, Ash. I'm really really sorry." He pulled away, and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.

Ashley ran fingers through Riley's hair. "Why are you sorry, Riley?"

"You deserve to know." Riley said, still not looking at Ashley. His eyes were downcast. "I couldn't tell you. But you deserve to know."

Ashley took Riley in her arms and gave her a crushing embrace. "Riley. Honey. I will _never_ _ever_ judge you by your past. What you are now is what matters. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." She gave him a kiss, and wiped his eyes. "I trust you, Riley."

Riley looked up, staring into Ashley's eyes. His eyes were bloodshot, and the vibrant blue lost the shine that was normally there. "I have to tell you, Ash. I'm scared. I don't… I don't want him to be here, but he is. I'm afraid for my family's safety. I know what he can do." He squeezed his eyes shut, and pressed himself against Ashley in another tight hug.

"Who, Riley?" Ashley said, alarm bells going off in her mind. She wasn't sure what exactly set them off, but she actually felt a nagging sense of apprehension about what happened earlier, and he wasn't exactly sure what.

"I saw him earlier, Ashley. He's here." Riley babbled, his hand wrapped around Ashley's hand. His grip squeezed harder, and Ashley felt a little uncomfortable, but she didn't say anything. She knew it helped. "He can't be here. Why can't he just…" Riley inhaled, and let his breathe out in a huff. "…he can't just leave me alone. He has haunted me forever. I thought I had escaped him but…"

"Who is?" Ashley repeated, a little more urgent now. She didn't like what Riley was saying, and she didn't like hearing Riley (or seeing him, for that matter) like this. The faster Riley has it out, the better.

"Ed. Ed's back." Riley said the name with fear, disgust and anger all at the same time. He exhaled, and seemed a little calmer now. He slumped back in the chair.

"Who's Ed, Riley?" Ashley asked. The alarm bells in her head wouldn't abate.

"Ed used to be my foster parent. He… used to do things to me. He hurt me." Riley closed his eyes, and his face drained even more of color. Sweat dripped down the side of his head, and tears fell from his eyes. "Oh my God, he wouldn't stop until I did what he told me. And I did it even if it was wrong, and he wouldn't leave me alone and… oh God…"

Ashley squeezed her eyes shut, and she put her arms around her husband. She imagined what sort of horrors Riley could have gone through when he was a child, and immense horror gripped Ashley. "Riley…" She whispered, and a tear fell from her eye. She wiped it with the back of her hand.

She had to be strong for Riley, no matter how much it hurt. It was worse for him.

Ashley tapped him on his thigh. "Let me get you some water, honey." She said with a small hiccup. She stood up.

Riley had her arm in a tight grip, though. "Don't go, please. Just… please."

Ashley frowned thoughtfully, and sat back down. "Can you tell me what he did, Riley?" She said cautiously. She didn't want to ask Riley more, with all honesty. Even if it was good that Riley was opening up to her, she didn't feel comfortable with how much grief and hurt it brought to Riley. It seemed like he was reliving the past.

It made her feel a little guilty, asking those questions. But she knew he needed this, no matter how painful it was for him.

And no matter how painful it was for her to hear it.

"I'm right here." She said gently, and squeezed Riley's hand in reassurance. "I'm not going anywhere."

Riley nodded. "He… do you remember anything about the bank robberies in 1995?"

Ashley shook her head. "I was a kid then. My only concern was my seatmate who won't stop pulling my pigtails."

Riley sighed. "The operations were ingenious. It was in the news – the new security system installed in various banks get hacked into – it was the start of the bank network security systems, too. It devastated banks all over America, and for a while they were actually afraid to hook up their securities to networks because of it. They thought that it wasn't secured,"

Ashley wrinkled her forehead. "Why are you telling me this?"

"I was behind the operation, Ashley." Riley swallowed. "Ed… Ed forced me to do it. I knew it was wrong, but he beat me up if I didn't help. He told me that he would kill me. I was so scared… I got him the blueprints, deactivated the security system… He did the rest.

"I was an accessory to robbery. I was coerced, sure, but I still did it. Oh my God, I tried stopping them, I tried not to follow their orders, I gave them the wrong plans… But Ed caught me and he would beat me up and lock me in the basement without food for a whole day. I didn't know what else to do."

Riley related these with almost a deadpan, detached voice. Occasionally some emotion would break through, and a sob would take over and make him stop. He would cry into Ashley's shoulder, and then continue.

Ashley just let him finish his story, holding him in his arms like she would a fragile child. She ran her fingers soothingly through his hair, and rubbed comforting circled on his back. She wiped the tears from his eyes, and ignored her own tears as they fell.

"He was my legal guardian – I was a foster kid when he adopted me. My family died and I was left with him. Every time I run away he would call the police, and they would take me back home to him and he would pretend to be the caring parent. Then he would beat me up.

"I can't do anything. When I hit sixteen, I ran away and had papers forged from a guy I knew. And so, now I was Danny Reynolds. And then he found me again. I gave him another chance – I mean, he was my guardian after all, and I thought I could trust him now because he actually seemed to care and… I fell into his trap again and…" Riley huffed, and growled a little. "How could I have been so stupid. I fell into his trap again even if I already knew what monster he was and DAMMIT."

Ashley patted him on the shoulder, and said nothing. She couldn't even form words at this point – hearing Riley say these things made her feel angry and… helpless. It wasn't fair, whatever happened to him. He didn't deserve it. And she knew the only way she can help was to listen.

She felt her nails dig into her palm as she clenched her fists in anger, and released it slowly. _That son of a bitch._ _He hurt my husband. He hurt _Riley.

"He got to me again. He didn't beat me up this time. He just kept a gun trained at me twenty-four seven." Anger filled Riley's voice, the despair that hit him now gone. Fire lit his eyes, and the tears stopped flowing. "That bastard can't just leave me alone. I run, and he follows. I gave him another slip, and changed my name into Joshua York. Then into Peter Parker when I felt him getting close again.

"And then back into Riley Poole – my real name, when I met Ben. I thought I can trust him, but I found I can't." He said blandly. Then the fire went out in a whoosh, and Riley fell back, exhausted. "Can I have that water now, please, dear."

Ashley patted him again on the thigh, and went to the kitchen. She came back with a glass of cool water, and Riley drank it all down. "Thank you. Thank you for listening." He gave a sigh of relief. "It feels good getting that off my chest."

Ashley squeezed his fingers. "Riley, I vowed that I would stand by you forever. I'm your wife." She gave him a long, deep kiss. "I love you, Riley. And I'm glad that you told me these things. I am so glad that you trust me like this." She smiled reassuringly.

But something in her mind clicked, and it wasn't good news. The reassuring smile faded, and Ashley was filled with dread. "Riley…"

"Yes?"

"What did Ed look like?" She whispered, fearing the answer.

"Wispy hair – white now, from age. Stern look – grandfatherly, but his eyes…" Riley shuddered. "His eyes stared at you hollowly, cold and calculating, and it's like his… his soul's just made of pure… evil."

"Riley…" Ashley said, her voice low and almost quiet. "I met him."

-line-

"_What_?" Was the only thing that Riley could manage when he heard the news. His heart thudded with fear, and he unconsciously squeezed Ashley's hand hard. "When? Where?"

"Earlier." Ashley said. "At the park. Matt was playing, he slid down the slide, and then the man was just… there. He stood and clapped at Matt. He called me by last name." She pressed against Riley, and closed her eyes. "_Oh my God… _he knows our family. Riley, he knows me, he knows the kids, he… what are we going to do? Oh my God."

Riley's mouth just fell agape, speechless. He didn't know what to say.

It was what he feared most. That the man would find him again. That the man would find his family.

But it was his family. And now Ed was here and… Riley huffed, and stood up. "I'm not going to let him hurt us. I'm not going to let him hurt you. I'm not going to let him hurt the kids. That son of a bitch is going to stay away from our family."

Ashley stood up as well, and held on to Riley's arm. "Riley, I'm scared to death. Our children might be in danger. Matt and Tori… I'm afraid for them, Riley."

Riley set his lips into a grim line. "I'm going to _die_ before he hurts our children. I'm going to kill him before he does."

"Riley." Ashley said. She slipped her hand into Riley's fingers. "What are we going to do?"

"I still know some people in the FBI, Ashley. I'm going to tell them what I can." Riley answered. "As for Matt and Tori, we're going to keep them around us at all times – if not, we'll give them to Abigail. I may not particularly like that set up, but I'm willing to do _anything_ to protect them. We're just going to have to live with Ed around, and take extra precautions until we he's caught."

Riley clenched his fists in determination, and stared into Ashley's eyes. "I spent most of my life running from that son of a bitch. Now he's here, threatening my family, my kids?" He looked away, gritting his teeth. "_Fuck_ that shit.

"I am _not_ going to run anymore."

* * *

**Disclaimer: All the history (e.g., the crimes, the "dawn" of the bank network security systems, ladadadada…) are fictitious. Fiction, folks ;)**

**Fiery determination. I admire that in… well, just about everyone. Haha.**

**Review, please – tell me what you think! :)**

**-Jaeh**


	7. Chapter 6

**Did the sky fall? Let's all check. Oh, no, it's still there. But.. is this... real? An update?**

**Okay, so first.. THANK YOU to people who reviewed and kept on reading this story. 70 reviews guys? Really? I love you. xD**

**Against all odds, namely real life and… that's about it, I'm updating! Yay!**

**I want to get this story finished, and then we will see what would happen. :D thanks again guys, and I hope that you'll like this chappie. :)**

* * *

**T**hey decided to go on with their plans for the day. There wasn't much point in stressing the children out. They were supposed to have fun as a family. And despite everything that was going on, Riley was determined to make it happen.

"I won't let him cripple my life, Ashley. I won't give him the satisfaction." Riley told his wife. Ashley placed a hand on his, and for a minute they sat there.

"So what are we going to do now?" Ashley asked.

"Smithsonian, I guess." Riley said, standing up. He took off his tie, and headed into their bedroom to grab a new shirt. "The children really want to go there. They have been talking about it ever since we got here."

Ashley nodded, following Riley into the room. She grabbed his Converses and placed them in front of him. "I think we should tell the children about all this." She said slowly.

Riley raised an eyebrow. "Why? They don't need to know this. They won't understand, anyway."

Ashley shook her head. "I think they would if we try to get them to understand, Riley. And it's for their protection. They need to know what's happening, or else they might do something that would just aggravate the situation because they don't know what's going on."

Riley frowned, mulling it over. He slipped the shirt on, and adjusted his collar. "You're right. They have the right to know. This concerns them, too." Riley sighed, and took Ashley's hand in his. "I'm worried. I can't have him wreck my life anymore, Ashley. I love you all too much."

Ashley gave him a kiss on the cheek. "We can do this. We can pull through this, okay?"

Riley smiled, and gave her a kiss back. With a voice full of determination, he said, "I know."

* * *

They were a picture of a perfect family. Matt rode Riley's back while Tori tugged on the hem of Riley's shirt, wanting a turn. Ashley kept a tight grip on Tori's wrist and was short of being dragged along by her daughter.

"So I figured that we should get something to eat first, before we head to the Air and Space Museum." Riley said, his voice calm and steady. His expression betrayed no fear and apprehension even if he constantly looked around, checking to see if they were being followed.

Just thinking of Ed made his blood boil. Riley knew the man was out to get him (for what exactly he didn't know) and there was no stopping him.

But Riley would never, _ever_, let his family down. He never had; and he never will.

"Burger King Burger King Burger King!" Chants from his children brought his attention back to the present. He lowered Matt down to the steps, and the child hopped up and down while tugging at his hand. "Burger King Burger King!"

"Burger King it is!" Ashley said with a small laugh. His wife was doing a great job of covering up her fear, too. Riley looked at her, and Ashley gave back a knowing glance, her lips curled up in a semi-fake smile for the sake of the children.

Her eyes conveyed only one question: _how are we going to tell the children?_

A few minutes later they were munching down on whoppers and onion rings. The fries steadily disappeared and so did the rings, so Riley volunteered to get some more. Tori tagged along, following behind Riley as she chatted about the last macaroni artwork that she and Matt did in the hotel. "I don't think he can glue the macaroni right yet dad. I keep on trying to teach him how, but he just presses the glue and smears it all over the place. He doesn't even stick any macaroni on!"

Riley caught his daughter's hand with his own. "Just keep teaching him what you know. I'm sure that he'll get it – I mean, my Tori's such a good teacher like her mom!"

The child beamed, and went up to the counter. She reached a hand over the counter, and waved at the cashier. The cashier smiled, and asked Tori for her order. Tori turned to Riley and tugged at his hand, but he was rather preoccupied with something.

He stared at someone outside the window. A man with white, wispy hair waved his hand, a nasty-looking grin on his face. Riley gritted his teeth, and resolved to ignore Ed as he tried to get his attention.

"Daaaaaaad it's our turn!" Tori said, and tugged on Riley's hand again. "Dad? Dad. Dad. Dad dad dad dad dad – "

"Alright alright, here we go." Riley said. He smiled what he hoped was a nice, happy, worry-free smile at the cashier, and did what he needed to do.

All that was left to do was wait, and Riley did all he could not to look out the window again. He turned his attention back to his daughter, who was now busy telling him about an episode of SpongeBob SquarePants that she saw.

Then he heard something that he did _not_ want to hear.

"Justin, don't tell me you're just going to ignore me. I was trying to get your attention out there."

Tori had stopped talking, and pressed herself shyly to Riley's side. Riley didn't turn around, and instead grabbed the tray of food that the server slid over to him. He said his thanks and proceeded to walk – to where, he wasn't sure yet, because he was deciding whether he wanted the family to meet his worst nightmare, or worse, for his worst nightmare to meet his family. He decided that it didn't matter anyway. Ed knew about his family, so why bother? At least his children would see the face of the man that they should run away from, and it would be a nice starting point to tell his children about the current situation.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Riley said, his words clipped and controlled. He hated Ed, but it didn't mean that he should be impolite. He should set an example to his children, after all.

But that also did not mean that he should entertain him. "Look, mister, I don't want any trouble. Could you just leave me and my family alone? Or else I'll be forced to tell the management and their security."

Riley gestured at his daughter to slide back into the booth, and then sat down himself. He glanced at Ashley, who stiffened when she heard Ed's voice. Riley's wife placed a protective arm around her son.

"Justin, Justin, Justin. Are you sure you want to play this game? You haven't even heard my proposition yet." Ed pulled a chair over, and sat down. He fished an onion ring from Riley's pile.

"This is not the time, Ed. I'm having lunch with my family, and we have plans for the day. Call my secretary back in my office and make an appointment." Riley looked up. "Please."

"How about we just have lunch tomorrow. Right in here. Same time – I'm sure you could make a little time for an old friend, eh? We'll talk. I'll give you this one. Have good day, Mr. Carpenter." With that, Ed left, and Riley slumped a little in his seat. His stomach tightened a little from anger and fear, and he found that he lost his appetite. He kept on eating though, trying to reassure his family that it was okay.

"It's okay, guys, we will talk later, okay? Let's finish our lunch first, then how about we go sit under a tree in the park while eating ice cream for dessert? Then we'll talk, and then head into the Smithsonian. What do you think?"

"Sounds good, Justin." Ashley answered for all of them. She slipped her hand into Riley's and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze that told him that she was behind him all the way. Riley squeezed back, and continued eating.

He wouldn't know what to do without his family.

* * *

Tori knew that something was wrong. Her parents were trying their best to cover things up – smiles that didn't look like smiles, laughter that didn't sound right… Sure, there were times when her dad seemed actually _okay_, and _sounded_ okay, and that was when she and Matt were around. So, Tori decided that she would keep her dad company until everything was right again.

She did wonder what was up though. Her parents didn't share much, but she can always tell if it was _really_ bad – they get all fake-smiley and weird.

And she was getting some ice cream after lunch instead of some bowl of fruit: there must be something important going on, and they were going to talk about it. Tori was not sure it was a good or a bad thing – but it should be good, she thought, since her parents are talking, and good things happened when they talk. She got to understand what was going on, and that made her feel less worried.

She took Matt's hand and they both ran to the ice cream truck, with their parents trailing behind them. They were walking hand in hand, she noticed, and thought that it was both sweet, like in the movies, and gross, since, well, they were holding hands. She got herself a nice chocolate ice cream bar, and helped her brother with an ice cream cone he was fumbling with. Tori then followed her parents to that tree in the park her dad was talking about. She wondered if she would see a squirrel. She liked squirrels.

Some part of her wondered how her dad could know a million things about Washington D.C. She had never been to Washington D.C., and everything was just interesting and fascinating. Tori thought that her dad was pretty awesome because he knows a lot of stuff. As far as heroes go, her dad was the best.

They sat under the tree, and for a moment everything was quiet, except for the sound of her licking the bar, Matt trying to gobble up the ice cream, and the birds and the people and the wind. Her parents watched as she ate, but she didn't really care. Parents did that a lot – just watch their children do things. She thought it was kinda boring, but that was okay – she asked about it once, but they just told her that she would understand when she grew up.

She wiped the chocolate off her face when her mom handed her a towel. Mom ended up wiping her face anyway. Dad gave a sigh, and Tori took that as a cue to stand up and place her arms around him. It looked like her dad needed a hug.

Dad started to cry, and Tori let go, concerned. She thought she did something wrong, but her dad just smiled despite of the tears and asked if she could give him a hug again, because it felt nice. And so Tori did, and patted her dad on the back so he would stop crying. It always worked for her friends, and it seemed to be working for her dad.

"Dad, what's wrong?" Tori asked, frowning. She wasn't exactly sure what was going on. She glanced at Mom, who gave her a small nod.

"Tori, Matt, I need you to listen to Daddy very carefully." Dad sniffled, and Mom handed him a handkerchief. Tori tried not to go yuck as Dad blew his nose, seeing as they all seemed so serious. She turned to Matt, and Matt made a small face at her showing his disgust, and Tori giggled.

"Okay, kids." Dad started, and Tori nodded to show that she was listening. "Do you know those bad guys we watch – like Darth Sidious – that old guy, in Star Wars?"

Tori shuddered. "That old man is creepy." Tori had nightmares of that creepy guy for a while when she was a little younger. His teeth was awful and nasty. He was just… Bad. He killed all those people. Just awful.

"Do you remember that he was the one who made Anakin into the guy who's in black – Darth Vader?" Dad continued. He stopped crying, and now had a little of his story-telling voice on. He still looked sad, though, and that made Tori uneasy. Her dad was _never_ sad.

"Yeah." Tori was scared of Darth Vader too, but she would not admit that to anyone, not even Matt. Matt liked Darth Vader. She wasn't sure if Matt even understood the movie, but Darth Vader was the bad guy – he was trying to defeat the good guys. "He was trying to blow up and kill the good guys. He was bad."

Dad nodded. "Well, the person who went to our table earlier, Mr. Wells. He wanted to make dad like Darth Vader."

"He wanted to make you a robot?" Matt asked. Tori had to shake her head – silly little kids. Vader wasn't a robot. She wasn't sure what Dad was getting at, though.

Dad shook his head, smiling a little. "No Matt, but close." His face looked sad again. "He wanted Daddy to be bad. He wanted Daddy's help to do bad things."

"But Dad, you're not like that. You can't do those things." Tori said. It was true. She had never seen her dad do anything wrong in her entire life.

Dad smiled a little, and shook his head. "Mr. Wells almost made Daddy bad. When I was young, I did not know what I should do because I had no mommy and daddy. So I did what Mr. Wells told me to do. But Daddy stopped."

"But you're not _bad_, right Dad?" Tori asked. She asked because she already knew what the answer would be.

Mommy, who was silent and just giving Dad nice pats on the shoulder, spoke. "Of course your Daddy is good. But Mr. Wells, that scary man earlier, remember?"

Tori and Matt nodded.

"He wanted Dad to do bad stuff for him. But Dad didn't do it, and now Mr. Wells is mad and still wants Dad to do bad things."

"What kind of bad things?" Matt asked.

"Things that we should not do – lie, steal, and everything against the rules that we have. And now he wants to take you so that he could make Dad do these things again." Dad said. "Matt, Tori, I need you to listen. We are still going to stay here, in Washington, but when you see Mr. Wells, you immediately tell Mommy and Me. And you immediately hide. Hide with Mommy, or with Daddy."

Mom continued. "Or with Aunt Abigail. Okay? Remember. Or if something bad happens and you're really really scared and Daddy and Mommy aren't around, what do you do?"

Tori raised her hand, and Mom nodded at her. "Call 911 or a police officer, right Mom?."

"That's my big girl." Mom said, and gave Tori a hug. "Remember, children. If it feels really bad and weird, if it feels _wrong_, and if everything becomes bad and weird, never forget – you should always stick together."

Dad took Tori in his arms. "You and Matt must always stay together unless we say so, okay?"

"Okay Dad." Tori noticed her Dad cry again, and she frowned. "Are you okay, dad? Still sad, still feel like crying?" She went to him and gave him a hug. Dad wouldn't let go again.

"No, I'm not sad, Tori. Daddy's scared. Daddy's really really scared that Mr. Wells is going to do something to take you and Matt away from me." Dad hugged her a little tighter until it hurt a little. She squirmed until Dad let go. "But he would never, ever let anything happen to you. Ever."

* * *

Ben was not going to give up. He didn't give up when people called him a lunatic, and he found the templar treasure. He didn't give up when people accused his ancestors of killing a president, and he found the Cibola.

And similarly, he would never, ever give up even if Riley Poole, his best friend himself, told him to quit. He would do anything to get Riley back.

Whenever he needed to find an artifact, what Ben would do was look into the past of the item. Look at where it has been, why it was made, when it got lost. Research.

And similarly, that was exactly what he was going to do. Research.

He looked up at the FBI building, went in, and asked for Special Agent Peter Sadusky. They ushered him into some random office room.

Ben tapped his fingers as he waited. Peter entered the door after a couple of minutes. "Ben? What are you doing here? How's Abigail and the kids?"

"They're fine." Ben answered, and stood up just as Peter was about to sit down. "Look, Peter, I need a favor…"

"Ben, if this has something to do with a felony I'm having none of it –"

"It's about Riley."

With those words, Peter's face fell and turned grim. "Ben, I'm sorry, but I cannot waste anymore resources on looking for him. The trail has gone cold. The kid really knows how to hide. I cannot do anything."

"I found him." Ben answered. He then added wryly, "or maybe he found me."

"How? Where?" Peter asked. His hand went up to his forehead in a surprised manner, and he looked astonished.

"He was working under Richard Reed, a friend of mine. We met at some dinner." Ben leaned forward. "Peter, he changed his name and buried his tracks. He's now Justin Carpenter, and he has a family."

"Justin Carpenter. The name rings a bell." Peter thought for a moment. "The guy who invented Parashield?"

Ben nodded. "That's him."

"I never looked into that thing. Not in my department. But hell, I should have _known_." Peter answered. "Well Ben, you found him. What do you need me for?"

"He refuses to talk to me."

"You want me to talk to him?"

Ben shook his head. "No. I need his past, Peter. I need his files."

"I can't just tap a few keys on the keyboards for this, Ben. There're procedures, protocols – plus you need his consent…"

Ben sighed. "Please, Peter. Look, Riley couldn't be just _instantly_ good at this, at hiding. I bet there are other names. A dozen. I don't know. Please, just look into it. I don't have to see all the files. Just… I need to understand…"

"It's not even my division if he commits a felony. I'm in the Counterterrorism division, and unless he is a terrorist Ben, I can't do anything about it."

"Please, Peter. As a favor. Please."

Peter stood up, shaking his head. "I don't know Ben. I don't know."

"Peter, come on. I need this." Ben said. "Please, Peter. I came to _you_."

"Look…" Peter exhaled. He paused, thinking, and then shook his head. "Maybe I can run Riley's picture through the facial recognition program and see what comes up."

Ben nodded and stood up. "Thank you. I owe you one."

Peter chuckled, and shook his head. He sighed. "I don't even know how I'm going to collect, Ben."

* * *

The rest of the day was a blur to Riley. They went to the Museum, with his children gawking at the exhibits.

Riley mostly stared blankly ahead, focusing on a general point in front of his eyes, smiling at the right moments with his kids, and nodding at his wife when needed. He smiled for the camera, but the expression didn't reach his eyes.

He could see that his wife's worried glances. He could feel apprehension in every little squeeze Ashley gave him, even if it brought him some comfort.

He sighed. Tomorrow was the day. Tomorrow was the day he would find out what Ed wants. Tomorrow was the day.

Tomorrow he would meet Ed. Tomorrow.

Tomorrow was when the nightmare officially begin**s**.

* * *

**SO, I just have to say that I don't know what division Sadusky is really in, but when I googled someone there said that it is a terrorist act to steal the Declaration of Independence, so I figured he'd be in Counterterrorism. I know that if it really is then the Homeland security and other agencies would be there, but I'm just basing this on the movie so…**

**AND I do NOT claim to be an expert on this. I don't even live in the US. I'm sorry if I got it wrong, but it's fiction, and I did what I can to research.**

**AGAIN, thanks for STILL READING, and let's all hope that I'm going to update again soon. College is pretty hectic, especially since this is my last year and all. :D Anywaaaaay, reviews would be awesome. :) thank yooou!**


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